Legal Ethics

  • September 06, 2024

    Justice Alito Reports Concert Tickets From Catholic Activist

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito accepted $900 concert tickets from a German princess and Catholic activist in 2023, but otherwise received no free trips or other gifts, according to his annual financial disclosure, which was made public Friday.

  • September 06, 2024

    Pa. Borough Says Insurer, Atty Wrongfully Settled Feud

    A Pennsylvania borough accused its insurer-retained counsel of committing legal malpractice by consummating a settlement acting against its wishes in an underlying "baseless" lawsuit brought by a borough council member, telling a state court that the attorney acted in the insurer's best interest.

  • September 06, 2024

    SEC Accuses Fla. Men Of Mass Tort Litigation Financing Fraud

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday accused a father and son from Florida of running a fraudulent litigation funding scheme by promising investors returns from financing mass tort litigation they were not actually funding.

  • September 06, 2024

    Atty Loses Bid To Revive NJ Malpratice Suit Against 2 Firms

    A New Jersey state appeals court on Friday upheld the dismissal of an attorney's common law fraud and negligence claims against two law firms for allegedly misrepresenting a debt he owed.

  • September 06, 2024

    Jones Foster Notches Fees Win After Beating Malpractice Suit

    Jones Foster PA won on a counterclaim for over $100,000 in unpaid legal fees against a pair of former clients this week in Florida federal court, shortly after defeating those clients' malpractice suit last month.

  • September 06, 2024

    NJ Atty Censured Over 'Protracted Conflict Of Interest'

    A New Jersey attorney has been censured in connection with his representation in an action over environmental contamination of a real estate property.

  • September 06, 2024

    Trump Sentencing Pushed Back Until After Election

    The New York judge overseeing Donald Trump's hush money case said Friday he will not sentence the former president before Election Day, pushing the hearing date from Sept. 18 to Nov. 26 in an effort to avoid the appearance of political considerations.

  • September 06, 2024

    Indicted Power Broker, Atty Brother Hit With Civil RICO Suit

    Philadelphia developer Carl Dranoff has accused the indicted brothers George E. Norcross III, a New Jersey power broker, and Parker McCay CEO Philip A. Norcross of causing him and his company millions of dollars in damages by intimidating and extorting him out of his property development rights in the city of Camden, New Jersey.

  • September 06, 2024

    Judge Newman's Suspension Extended For Another Year

    Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman was barred Friday from hearing cases for at least another year due to her refusal to participate in an investigation into her health, with the appeals court's other judges deciding unanimously to extend a suspension that began last year.

  • September 05, 2024

    Panel Finds Colo. Attys Can't Poach From Current Employers

    A Colorado Court of Appeals panel on Thursday upheld a $4,000 verdict and $1.2 million in fee awards against an attorney who violated an employment contract when she tried to lure colleagues away from a prominent regional personal injury firm, finding the firm's contract was valid and enforceable.

  • September 05, 2024

    DA Pans Trump Maneuvering On Hush Money Case Removal

    Attorneys in the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told the Second Circuit in a letter Thursday that Donald Trump is mischaracterizing a federal judge's recent order to further his baseless bid to move his hush money case to U.S. district court.

  • September 05, 2024

    Colo. Election Denier Hit With $1K-A-Day Contempt Fine

    A Colorado federal judge held a prominent 2020 election denier in contempt Wednesday for refusing to answer key questions during a deposition in a defamation suit brought by a former Dominion Voting Systems executive and then walking out in defiance, hitting the conspiracy theorist with a $1,000-per-day fine until he coughs up requested information.

  • September 05, 2024

    Norton, Quinn Emanuel Decry $600M Patent, Contempt Ruling

    NortonLifeLock and Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP again urged the Federal Circuit to overturn a $600 million patent infringement verdict against the company that was in part based on the firm's being held in contempt, with both saying the holding has serious flaws.

  • September 05, 2024

    Fla. Law Firm Says It's Owed $247K In Fees From Chiquita MDL

    A South Florida law firm has urged a federal court to grant it $247,000 for its work in reaching a settlement from the long-running multidistrict litigation over Chiquita Brands International Inc.'s funding of Colombian paramilitaries, saying a fellow attorney waived objections after failing to meet with other lawyers in the case.

  • September 05, 2024

    $9.1M In Fees Requested For Calif. Debt Relief Law Firm Ch. 11

    Just days after a bankruptcy judge said in court that unsecured creditors in the case of collapsed California debt relief firm Litigation Practice Group will likely receive little to nothing, professionals working on the case filed about $9.1 million in fee requests — enough to use up most of the available cash.

  • September 05, 2024

    Calif. Firm Beats $9.5M Malpractice Loss Over Estate Work

    A California state appeals court on Wednesday threw out a $9.5 million malpractice verdict against a Los Angeles-area lawyer and his firm over their handling of a noted burn surgeon's estate, holding that allowing the verdict and penalty to stand would be an 'intolerable burden' on the legal community.

  • September 05, 2024

    Ahmaud Arbery's Mother Agrees To Dismiss One Of The Killers

    The mother of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was murdered by three white men while jogging in coastal Georgia over four years ago, on Thursday dropped one of her son's killers from a civil suit over his killing and the subsequent investigation.

  • September 05, 2024

    'Flimsy Attack' In $102M Award Suit Falls Flat, Court Hears

    Liberian entities fighting to enforce a $102 million arbitral award issued in a dispute over control of a $700 million liquefied petroleum gas shipping joint venture have criticized the award debtor's "flimsy attack" on the arbitrator's impartiality in a filing to a New York federal judge.

  • September 05, 2024

    Lloyd's Looks To Ditch Cadwalader's Coverage Suit In NC

    A Lloyd's of London syndicate is urging the North Carolina Business Court to toss a Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP lawsuit seeking coverage for a 2022 data breach, saying the law firm failed to include three other carriers included on the insurance policy at issue.

  • September 05, 2024

    11th Circ. Urged To Boot Fla. Judge From Trump Docs Case

    The nonprofit organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a former federal judge and law professors have called on the Eleventh Circuit to reinstate the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump and remove U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon from the matter because she appears biased toward Trump.

  • September 05, 2024

    Troutman Pepper Faces $59 Million Malpractice Suit In NY

    Queens-based construction company Judlau Contracting has launched a $59 million malpractice suit against Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP in New York state court, alleging the firm and a partner in its construction practice of failing to provide adequate representation in two underlying court cases.

  • September 05, 2024

    Ex-Defender Wants Judge To Reassess Judiciary Bias Ruling

    A former assistant public defender in North Carolina has asked a Massachusetts federal judge to reconsider his bench ruling siding with the federal judiciary in her due process and equal protection case, saying the facts all point in her favor and the judge misapplied the law in rendering his decision.

  • September 05, 2024

    Ill. Judge Exits Home Sellers' Broker Fees Antitrust Suit

    An Illinois federal judge has recused herself from a certified and settled class action that accused the National Association of Realtors and multiple major brokerages of conspiring to charge artificially inflated broker commissions for home sellers.

  • September 05, 2024

    Chutkan Rejects Trump's Evidentiary Delay Request

    A D.C. federal judge said she wanted to see "forward motion" in former President Donald Trump's election case now that it's back in her courtroom, rejecting Trump's attorneys' calls for delay and clearing the way for prosecutors to present a trove of evidence by the end of the month.

  • September 04, 2024

    Marine Atty Fights Sanctions In Afghan Baby Kidnapping Suit

    A U.S. Marine Corps lawyer facing a $15 million lawsuit for allegedly kidnapping an orphaned Afghan baby urged a Virginia federal judge to reject a bid by the baby's cousins for attorney fees as part of a sanctions order against him and his wife.

Expert Analysis

  • What Law Firms Should Know Amid Rise In DQ Motions

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    As disqualification motions proliferate, law firms need to be aware of the types of conflicts that most often lead to disqualification, the types of attorneys who may be affected and how to reduce their exposure to these motions, says Matthew Henderson at Hinshaw.

  • Data Protection Steps To Consider After Biden Privacy Order

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    A recent White House executive order casts a spotlight on the criticality of securing sensitive content communications, presenting challenges and necessitating a recalibration of practices, especially for lawyers, says Camilo Artiga-Purcell at Kiteworks.

  • Surveying Legislative Trends As States Rush To Regulate AI

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    With Congress unlikely to pass comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation any time soon, just four months into 2024, nearly every state has introduced legislation aimed at the development and use of AI on subjects from algorithmic discrimination risk to generative AI disclosures, say David Kappos and Sasha Rosenthal-Larrea at Cravath.

  • How Duty Of Candor Figures In USPTO AI Ethics Guidance

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    The duty of candor and good faith is an important part of the artificial intelligence ethics guidance issued last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and serious consequences can visit patent and trademark applicants who violate that duty, not just their attorneys and agents, says Michael Cicero at Taylor English.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Why Incorporating By Reference Is Rarely Good Practice

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Promptu Systems v. Comcast serves as a reminder that while incorporating by reference may seem efficient, it is generally prohibited by courts and can lead to sanctions when used to bypass a word count limit, says Cullen Seltzer at Sands Anderson.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • Series

    Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

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